1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and a device to automatically determine slice positions for a magnetic resonance (MR) examination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Slice positions in an MR examination are determined such that a volume that corresponds to a predetermined volume (for example a volume that likewise was measured by a previously conducted MR examination) is measured in a current MR examination. It is also possible to determine the slice positions such that predetermined volume segments (for example lesions detected in a preceding MR examination) are contained as optimally as possible in the determined slices.
In order to be able to generate optimally precise diagnoses based on MR images that are generated by a magnetic resonance system (MR system), it is frequently necessary to conduct multiple MR examinations or MR measurements of the same volume (for example the abdomen of a patient). These MR examinations can be differentiated with regard to their contrast (for example T1, T2, T2*) and/or with regard to their settings as to slice thickness, slice interval, number of slices, and slice direction.
In order to be able to provide an optimally precise diagnosis with multiple MR examinations wherein, for example, a specific volume region (for example a specific organ) in a human body is analyzed, it is necessary for this specific volume region to be contained in the respective volume that is measured by the respective MR examination. According to the prior art it is only possible to manually predetermine specific parameters for an MR examination—for example the slice thickness, the slice interval and the number of the slices—such that the volume region lies within a volume that is then measured by the manually set MR examination.
Moreover, it frequently is the case that one or more specific volume segments (for example one or more lesions) which were found in an MR examination should be analyzed further with an additional MR examination. According to the prior art, it is likewise possible only to set the corresponding parameters for the additional MR examination manually, such that this/these volume segment(s) lie(s) as well as possible within the volume which is then measured by the additional MR examination.
How well the predetermined volume range or the at least one predetermined volume segment is then covered by the additional MR examination depends significantly on the capabilities of the operator operating the corresponding MR system.